Happy Friday!! Today’s Friday Favorites is a bit different because yesterday marked 6 months into my 30 Before 30 challenge! Here’s an update on how it’s going!

1. Go back to Europe
Still no plans yet. We’re just now making summer travel plans and I don’t think a proper Europe trip would fit into our schedules right now. Maybe for Thanksgiving??

2. Get another tattoo!
I haven’t decided yet, do people ever really decide?

3. Go camping somewhere with some awesome views
This is part of our summer trip plans! I’ll share more later! 🙂

4. Fully understand my 401k, stocks, and all that stuff they don’t teach you in school
There are actually a few classes I can take about 401k’s at work, which I did take. So I kind of understand it a bit better, but definitely not at 100% yet. As for stocks, I’ve been using Robinhood and have bought, sold and have my eye on some stocks. I definitely haven’t made any money yet.

5. Get a 6-Pack (of abs!!)
I’m trying my best. Not there yet.

6. Visit Red Hare Brewing
This summer I will finally go! I love their new Tangerine 50/50!

7. Spend a weekend in Asheville, NC
We just bought tickets to see the Milk Carton Kids in October there! We’re super excited!

8. Get our home office furnished & cozy
Still nothing in there, but we hang out in there a lot and have a sweet setup of blankets and pillows on the floor. So that’s pretty cozy to start with…

9. Make our backyard look super awesome
Thanks to our fire pit, we’re able to burn more yard trash and get the yard looking nice and clean. Next up we want to add a fence!

10. Pay off all our credit cards
I did this…and then have gotten 2 more credit cards…I’m writing a post about this, so there’s more to come!

11. Visit Golda Kombucha once they open in Atlanta
They just opened a couple of weeks ago, so a friend from the gym and I are planning on hitting it up soon!

14. Go on or at least plan for another cruise
Still trying to figure when we’ll do this, but I feel like it may be Alaska!

15. Compete in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament
I’m either doing one at the end of June or one in August!

16. Get better at filming GoPro videos and editing
I’m trying! I just need to find more time to dedicate to this.

17. Take this blog seriously
Yeah…about that. I am, I just need to really show it!

18. Visit some more states I’ve never been to
Not sure when or where, but hopefully that will happen!

19. Post more videos on YouTube (either GoPro videos or vlog-style)
Working on it! I’ll definitely be doing video of our trip this summer!

20. Move to a different project at work (I’ve been on the same one for 3 years)
It’s happening!! In July I will move to a new team and project!

21. Be more consistent with my stand-up comedy
I’m starting to write new material!

22. Visit more tea rooms in Atlanta
I’ve been back to ZenTea, but I have ones I haven’t been to on the list!

23. Be better at drinking water (I feel like I barely have any water!)
Slow….I get into random weeks where I’m all about water, and others where I don’t really want it.

24. Try more breweries in Atlanta
All the breweries!

25. Try different types of food

26. Visit Monday Night Brewing
Not yet..

27. Take an improv class
Hopefully this fall there will be a session on the weekend I can take…so far all the intro ones are on weeknights…which definitely don’t work for me!

28. Update my wardrobe
Slowly, I am getting better clothes, and have been getting rid of clothes I haven’t worn in over a year.

29. Learn how to take and edit phone photos like a boss
Working on it! I’ve been watching a lot of videos, and using more apps to play around with different ways to edit!

30. Figure out what I’m good at
yeaaa..

So now I’ve got 10/30 things crossed off of my list! Not exactly halfway the list at the halfway point, but better than nothing! I’ll be posting more about each one I’ve crossed off, and of course about our awesome trip coming up.

Happy Friday! I’ve decided to start doing a “Friday Favorites” post every Friday! I figured not only would it help me stay accountable for posting, but also keep track of all the things I love! So welcome to Friday Favorites #1!

First things first…

My new car!!!

Last Friday I traded in my Kia Soul EV for a Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid! The past few months I have been doing tons of research trying to figure out what my next car would be. My lease on the Soul EV was up in June, and I knew I didn’t want to buy it (not to mention I was over my miles and the battery wasn’t as good as it used to be). I knew I wanted a hybrid, but there are so many now, all with different features and of course, at different price points.

I finally settled on the Ioniq and found a great deal on the Edmunds app on my (brand new) 2017 Ioniq. After a lot of discussions, I also decided to finance the car instead of leasing again. What ultimately sold me on financing was when I calculated how much I have to pay Kia for going over my miles…ouch!! But I’ll worry about that later because this is definitely my favorite thing this past week!

Banana Bread

I tried a new banana bread recipe this week and love it! I did modify it by halving it since I only had 2 bananas, didn’t use walnuts, and also used gluten-free flour. This recipe is vegan, low-fodmap, gluten-free, and dairy-free so Shaun and I can eat it as well as anyone else (pretty much). I used my small rectangular silicone baking mold to get them so cute and tiny. If you haven’t been using silicone to bake with, you’re missing out. They’re my favorite thing to bake with now!

No Rain

It’s been raining for at least 2 weeks now, and I’m about over it. So anytime it’s not raining is pretty great. I’m super tired of the humidity, and the water that’s been slowly leaking into our garage. I can’t wait to finally enjoy the warm weather without everything being wet!

rain in the distance 🙁

A short list for a short week, but I’ll be back next week, so be sure to follow me on Instagram or sign up for my emails so you don’t miss it!

So a little over a month ago I crossed another item off of my 30 Before 30 list! This was my visit to Lunas Cookie Studio in Suwanee, GA. I pass by pretty much every day, so I was excited to finally stop in and give it a try. I had a few things to work on for a website so I figured it would be the perfect place to get some work done.

When I walked in I was the only one there, so I was able to take my time as I stared at the cookies…which are actually macaroons! I was pleasantly surprised! I had a tough time making a decision because this is what my options looked like:

I decided on the Early Gray and Honey Graham & Chocolate Ganache cookies, or macaroons. I also got a hot blueberry lemon tea which is made in-house. Everything was amazing. First, since the tea is homemade it had lemons and blueberries in it. It tasted so fresh! And the macaroons….they were the bomb. They’re a little bit bigger than your standard macaroon (again, definitely not complaining!) and they taste so magical. They’re also chilled so they don’t break apart when you take your 1st bite. I was planning on eating one in the store and one later, but I couldn’t help it and ate both. Whoops.

Also, I didn’t get a picture of it, but the store is such a hidden gem. It’s pretty big inside so there are tons of places to sit either with friends or if you want to sit and work by yourself. They have great wi-fi and lots of plugs for charging.

I’ll definitely be returning to Lunas Cookie Studio because not only is it nearby, but it was just so good…you can’t beat good macaroons! If you’re in the Duluth area, another good macaroon place is Mac Lab…but that’s another post for another day!

Have you been to Lunas Cookie Studio? Do you have another macaroon place I need to check out? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wednesday! I can’t believe we’re 3 months into my 30 Before 30 countdown! Crazy! So in these 3 months, I’ve checked off a sold 2 items. GREAT! No, it’s okay though because I’ve been working on a lot more, just haven’t gotten to the crossed off part yet.

So what have I been up to? Here’s the update:

1. Go back to Europe

I’ve been tracking flights on Google Flights, I obviously want to find a good deal, but also the more Shaun and I talk about what we want to do to the house, we’re not sure if we want to wait until next year. But then I’m scared if we do that, then we’ll just keep saying that and never go.

2. Get another tattoo!

Still no idea what I’d get…so that’s cool.

3. Go camping somewhere with some awesome views

It’s getting warmer, so hopefully, this will happen before it gets super hot. Or we go somewhere this summer where it’s a tad cooler and won’t be sweating the whole time.

4. Fully understand my 401k, stocks, and all that stuff they don’t teach you in school

I’ve been using the app Robinhood to get stocks. It makes it very easy to understand. And I’ve gotten into cryptocurrency, like everyone else and their mom. Literally, anything I buy in Robinhood or cryptocurrency goes down immediately, so I’ve very good luck.

5. Get a 6-Pack (of abs!!)

Slowly working on this. We go to the gym at least 5 times a week and have been trying to eat better. Shaun and I are already following the low-fodmap diet, but sometimes even with the things, we can eat we don’t feel good. Like not bloated, but just from eating heavy or a lot of things (which could be related to #25).

16. Get better at filming GoPro videos and editing

17. Take this blog seriously

I’m trying my best! I’ve been using a calendar and planning board to figure out what to post, and have lists to check off for each. I’m also going to be switching to a dedicated blog Instagram, just because it would make things easier. So follow along!

18. Visit some more states I’ve never been to

Still not sure which states…

19. Post more videos on YouTube (either GoPro videos or vlog-style)

Waiting on #16 for that!

20. Move to a different project at work (I’ve been on the same one for 3 years)

Trying…

21. Be more consistent with my stand-up comedy

I did a few shows earlier this year! That was fun! But that’s slowed down again due to open mic times/locations. They’re so late, and I go to bed so early! *excuse*

22. Visit more tea rooms in Atlanta

23. Be better at drinking water (I feel like I barely have any water!)

This is…going. Some days are better than others. I’ve been cutting up lemons and infusing water for the week, which helps but I’m still just really slow and bad at this. Any tips are greatly appreciated!

24. Try more breweries in Atlanta

We just keep visiting the same ones. I’ve been to Cherry Street, Wild Heaven, and Good Word, but those are all ones I’ve been to multiple times before.

27. Take an improv class

I’ve been looking. I really want to do it at Highwire Comedy, but their sessions have been on weekends that I’m out of town and I don’t want to pay for a class that I’d miss multiple weeks of. I think the next session I should be able to do though!

28. Update my wardrobe

I’ve started pulling stuff out that I can’t remember the last time I wore it. And also stuff that’s now too big (which is awesome, but also annoying because I have to go shopping and I hate clothes shopping with a fiery passion!).

29. Learn how to take and edit phone photos like a boss

I’m loving VSCO and Snapseed. I need to get those angles though!

30. Figure out what I’m good at

Hmm…Well I know I love creating websites, and I’m working on my friend Kelundra’s right now and I am loving it. I also bought a social media marketing class on Udemy, I feel like that’s a huge interest of mine that could be turned into something tangible.

With only 2 out of 30 items checked off, I have a lot to do in the next 9 months, but I know I’ll be able to make it happen! This blog is definitely holding me accountable!

A few months ago I received the Code Review, a weekly newsletter from Women Who Code. They were giving out scholarships to attend DevNexus which is a yearly Java conference here in Atlanta. I’ve been wanting to attend for years but never had the money opportunity. I applied, and a few weeks later I got an email saying I was chosen for one of their scholarships! I was super excited to be chosen to attend DevNexus because if you have ever been to, or just looked up tickets for conferences, you will know how expensive they are.

DevNexus is 2 days (3 if you count the workshops the day before) and offers tons of different tracks and sessions. When I looked at the schedule to figure out which sessions to attend, I was seriously overwhelmed! There are so many! I made a short list for each hour and decided I’d make a decision once I was there or have a backup if a room was full. I was glad I did this because there were a few that I walked in and there were no more open seats.

The conference was Thursday and Friday at the World Congress Center. Thursday morning after checking in, I attended a Women in Technology breakfast. It was a small session focused on getting more women to submit and speak at conferences. They had a lot of great ideas and really got me thinking!

After breakfast, there was some time before the keynote to check out the booths. There were so many companies to check out and even more free swag to get! I think I got 6 t-shirts in all!

The keynote was really cool, it was presented by 2 engineers at NASA, giving us a little peek into the work they’re doing.

After the keynote, it was time for the sessions to begin. Both mornings there was a keynote. Friday’s keynote was very entertaining, given by a developer at Google. In between sessions, I was able to go downstairs to the booths and learn about all the companies and pick up some swag. I even got to try some beer made from cloud computing. How crazy!

Something I was not aware of, but of course pleasantly surprised at DevNexus, was that food and drinks were provided. Both days they served all meals, and there was a constant supply of tea, coffee, water, and soda. also had desserts after lunch as well. Not that it’s all about the food, but I thought it was worth mentioning since I didn’t really see anything related to it online.

Another thing I was not aware of, was that there was a QR code on our badges (well, I obviously learned that when I got mine). This allowed anyone to scan your code and get your information to contact you after DevNexus. I thought this was super cool and made me feel silly about ordering 100 business cards a few weeks before. Oh well…now I have business cards!

And of course, one last thing that was super funny to experience was that the bathroom lines at a tech conference were long for the guys and non-existent for the women. Being a woman in technology has some perks…for now (obviously hoping that we’re 50/50 by 2020!).

I am so happy that I got the chance to attend DevNexus after years of wanting to go! Many many thanks to Women Who Code for giving me this opportunity to learn new things and get this experience!

Earlier this month, my mom and I went to Tampa, Florida to visit my grandma and have a girls weekend. We left late Friday afternoon and came back Monday. So it was a short trip, but a great way to spend the weekend.

When going to the Victorian Grace Tearoom, you won’t miss it, it’s the only pink house on the street!

On Saturdays, they only serve their “Afternoon Tea” which is: a choice of soup, chicken salad on a croissant, tea sandwiches, scone with Devonshire cream, and assorted desserts.

First up was to choose our tea. We went with the Fruits D’Alsace tea.

This tea was light and fruity. Here’s the tea menu, we also got the Holiday Tea for our 2nd pot.

Then they brought out the food…We started from the bottom and worked our way to the top.

I think they had the best scones I’ve ever had. They were soft and not super crumbly.

I got the tomato soup, and it came with a little heart shaped crouton!

As we were finishing up, we were talking with the owner of Victorian Grace and asked where she is from…she said she’s from Guyana…where my grandmother is from! We were thinking what a small world! And then to make it an even smaller world, we found out her first name is Lorraine…same as my grandmother! How crazy is that!?

After we left, we went shopping and stopped by a nature preserve park by my Grandma’s house that was recently redone to be more of a beach area.

And keeping up with the “tea” theme, we encountered a different kind on Sunday…Manatees! We went to the South Florida Museum (for free thanks to free weekends with Bank of America), and saw 2 manatees that they are rehabbing.

I love manatees…they’re super fun to watch! That night we watched the Superbowl Justin Timberlake concert and left the next day to catch our flight back to Atlanta. It was a quick trip, but it was nice to hang out with my grandma and mom, and to experience some warmer weather!